Anything I feel like making from kid clothes, to dolly clothes I design. Also other garments and projects. Anything which strikes my fancy! (See the link to the Quilts blog below for my quilts.)

Sunday, April 25, 2010

2010 - Sharing with Friends

A friend was visiting from Sweden in April, and I wanted to send his little girl some fun things.

They are also big F-1 fans, so she gets a special outfit, too. Hers is 2-piece, because I don't know her exact size and this will fit her for longer.

Don't make the solid piece less than a finished length of 2-inches! It gets tricky to use the ruffling foot.

Close-up of decorative stitching

You see elastic hanging out here and there--I left extra long pieces pinned with safety pins so her Mommie could adjust the size of neck, sleeves, and waists.

She's inheriting a pink cowgirl hat from our Princess, so she needed something to wear it with...

I couldn't find just what I wanted, so I made the lace trim (not the butterflies). I did a tiny rolled hem on a long piece of sewn together strips of thin white fabric (same as the white top with black stitching fabric). Next I sewed baby pink ric rac on it. Then I used the ruffling foot to gather the trim. I sewed it onto the garments in a separate step. Then I sewed it down firmly along the top edge using top stitching.

And she really NEEDED a dolly with a matching dress

It can be difficult to gauge just how wide each piece should be (especially on dolly clothes). It would look better if the upper row of b&w checks was narrower than the bottom row, but still wider than the plain white row, but it's still cute.

Fleece bunting begins with top/dress pattern widened under the arms to allow for other clothes underneath. Add the hood, add a strip down the front, also around the bottom for interest (you could just extend it all the way to the bottom if you like). Just be sure you make it at least 1-1/2 inch longer than the doll.

And the nightie (open down the back with velcro closure), with self-ruffle, and decorative stitching

I wanted our friend to see the fabric from the jamies I had made for our kids earlier, and her little girl could care less that her dolly's dress is flannel. (The lace on the bodice is used to create the effect of an empire waist--it is really all one piece of fabric.)

And what may be the pièce de résistance...

My first overalls--so I had to add a bib and straps to the pants pattern. I left the waist very wide for easy of putting the dolly into the pants. It could be a tad narrower. (If making this for a 5-yr old or older, I would make a velcro fastener on each side at the waist to draw it in nicely.)